Habitable Zone For Luytens Star And Mars Holding Its Breath

Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. You may notice that this and future entries are shorter than usual; career, family and book deal commitments have forced me to cut back some of my projects. Now, here's today's news:

g STARS - What is the habitable zone for nearby Luyten's Star?

g ABODES - Rather than having had its air knocked out into space, Mars might just be holding its breath. A new finding suggests the missing atmosphere of Mars might be locked up in hidden reservoirs on the planet, rather than having been chafed away by billions of years' worth of solar winds as previously thought. See article.

g LIFE - A small, light-weight microscope that can produce high-resolution images is being developed to help astrobiologists study microbial life in some of Earth's most extreme environments. These studies can allow scientists to determine the limits of life and will help define habitable environments on other planets. See article.

g MESSAGE - Searches for extraterrestrial intelligence are about to expand into new realms, thanks to new advances in technology - and new thinking. See article.